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An African In
Paris - Production Credits and Song Profiles
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Makinto
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Flutes, Picolo,Piano,Vocals, Talking Drum, Kalimba, Balaphone |
| Basses | Carlos Werneck, Michel Alibo, Marc Berteaux |
| Guitars | Pascal Danae |
| Drums | Paco Sery, Stephan Vera, Louis Augusto Calvani, Thierry Arpino |
| Percussion | Arnold Moueza, Pape Dieye, Arnaud Frankfort |
| Trumpets | Ron Meza, Brad Wheeler, Guillermo Fellove |
| Saxes | Larry Gillespie, Allen Hoyst, |
| Trombones | Jean Louis Damant, Zac Alcouffe |
| Keyboards/Synths | Jean-Philippe Rykiel |
| Piano | Celia Reggiani |
| Cello | Laurent Gardeux |
| Background Vocals | Theos Allen, Nini Battle, Bruce Johnson, Arnold Moueza, Kay Pralat, Michael Robinson,Tommy Snyder: Rap in "Hilife" -Nini |
| Summertime Lead Vocal | Bruce Johnson |
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Produced By:
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Tommy Snyder |
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All Recordings By:
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Christophe Marais at Studios Ferber, Paris |
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Mixed By:
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Dennis Weinreich at Videosonics, Dogon, by Christophe at Ferber |
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Extra Engineering:
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Dominique Poncet, Rafael Tidas & Dennis Weinreich |
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Extra Recording at:
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Guillaume Tell & Harryson, Paris & Videosonics, London |
| All Songs arranged by: | George Makinto |
| Songs Published by: | IMA Songs (SACEM)© 1997 |
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St. Thomas
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Published by: Prestige Music © 1960 |
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Summertime
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Published by: Gershwin Publishing Corp. © 1935 |
| P & C 1998 Izit Music & Arts Ltd. / Sweet Basil Inc./Pony Canyon | |
| MAKINTO plays the ALTUS FLUTE | |
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An African In Paris
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The first song Makinto wrote after moving to Paris, where
he was inspired by the blends of different cultures and strong presence of African culture. Traditional instruments such as balaphone and kalimba are featured. |
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Niamey
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When teaching music in Niger, in one of the first music schools of it's kind in Africa, he wrote and dedicated this song for his horn section and percussion students. It features a combination of HiLife rhythms and African Funk. Ambiance sounds were recorded in Niamey for this song. | |
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St. Thomas
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One of the first songs Makinto learned to play on the classical
flute, and originally a calypso, it's played as a HiLife piece with a salsa arrangement at the end featuring piccolo flute. |
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Let's Start Again |
Written during a time of deep reflection , writing this song
helped to lift Makinto from a short depression, proving once again how the power of music, a gift from the creator, can always lift up our spirits. Starting with the gentle sounds of water, the song progresses featuring a wonderful cello performance, finishing in a power funk-ballad style. |
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Mabele
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(pronounced ma-bay-lay) The story of Mabele, a sort of African
"Robin Hood," reflects one of the biggest problems Makinto witnessed
in many "third world" cities during his travels: seeing so many
poor people on the move from the countryside to urban areas. The song pays
tribute to those standing up to injustice, surpression and moral misery.
The talking drums are really talking. |
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Dogon
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This song features an African 6/8 rhythm found in Mali, Ivory Coast, Camaroon and Guinea. Makinto's flute is featured, with this style of playing inspired by the traditional flutists of Dogon, a region of Mali. | |
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My Life is Hilife |
Hilife is a popular, urban, musical style developed in the
50’s on the west coast of Africa, mixing traditional African rhythms with contemporary jazzy elements, horn sections and instrumental improvisation. The rap(performed by Makinto’s sister) talks about "current"(at the time of writing of course) problems in Liberia. |
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Nyiragongo
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A song based on a poem written by Albert Russo (noted writer and member of the Nobel Prize selection committee) about an impressive and mysterious volcano in central Africa In 2002, this volcano erupted. | |
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Summertime
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This well known jazz standard features a special "Makinto blend" of Brasilian and Latin rhythms, and a guest-vocal performance by Paris based singer, Bruce Johnson. | |
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Leo's Dream
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While participating in the birth of his son Leo, Makinto played flute and wrotethis melody in the delivery room, knowing that his son would carry on the tradition of creating and performing music. (Leo plays drums now) | |
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Interludes Mapakalimba |
These are spontaneous, live performances, of Makinto and
drummer Paco Sery. They started jamming with 2 kalimbas and their voices, and progressed to using such "instruments" as acoffee table, conga case and a match box. |
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| Makinto says: "As a mixed blood
son of Africa and Germany, I'm both African and German, but then again, not really African and not really German. It took me quite a while to find a true personal and musical identity, and I am sharing this sometimes painful search with all mixed bloods and finally with all human beings. This first album is dedicated to all of you, black, white, brown, yellow, red, women, men & children of all kinds; to enjoy the sound of togetherness and harmony, and to travel together through the African soul. Peace to you all!!" |
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